News from NYU Langone Health
No. 1 heart hospital in US announces key changes to its cardiology leadership
Cardiovascular Business
NYU Langone Health announced key leadership changes in its cardiology division. Sunil Rao, MD, former director of interventional cardiology, is now director of the Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. He replaces Glenn I. Fishman, MD, who steps down after 25 years but will remain on the faculty. Susheel K. Kodali, MD, is joining from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center to serve as the new director of interventional cardiology. Kodali is a known leader in structural heart disease and transcatheter valve replacement procedures.
8/27/2026
People
Actress Busy Philipps reveals she underwent two surgeries to remove a rare brain tumor at NYU Langone Health. Her care was managed by a team that included neurosurgeon John Golfinos, MD, co-director of the Brain Tumor Center at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, neurologist Orrin Devinsky, MD, professor in the Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, and neuro-oncologist Alexandra Miller, MD, chief of Neuro-oncology, co-director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center. Philipps' tumor was discovered through a full-body MRI. Both Dr. Golfinos and Dr. Miller commented on the case, stressing the benefit of early detection.
8/26/2026
Busy Philipps found a rare tumor thanks to this full-body scan. Do you need one?
USA Today
Actress Busy Philipps revealed she had surgery to remove a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, a slow-growing brain tumor discovered via a full-body MRI scan. Her neuro-oncologist, Alexandra Miller, MD, chief of Neuro-oncology, co-director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Centere, explained that while the tumor is considered malignant due to its ability to regrow, it has the best prognosis among malignant gliomas. The article also explores the broader debate around preventative full-body scans, highlighting their potential for overdiagnosis and the fact they are typically not covered by insurance, despite their growing popularity on social media.
8/26/2026
Public hearing set for today on $650M hospital expansion, modernization project in Patchogue
News 12 Long Island
A public hearing is scheduled for a proposal to invest $650 million to expand and modernize NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk in Patchogue. The project involves a 270,000-square-foot addition, creating a new 144-bed pavilion for various care units. According to the application, this proposed expansion would add 52 net-new beds. Funds would also support renovations of the existing building, which was fully integrated by NYU Langone Health last spring. If approved, construction is expected to take a little over three years.
8/27/2026
Decades-long effort of HIV-positive transplantation surgery achieves landmark first lung transplant
The Tech (MIT)
In June 2026, surgeons at NYU Langone Health performed the world’s first lung transplant from an HIV-positive donor to an HIV-positive recipient. The landmark procedure, which also included a liver transplant, marks the final major milestone in a decades-long effort to make HIV-positive organ transplantation possible, overturning a 1988 federal ban. The patient's care team from the NYU Langone Transplant Institute included physicians Raiya Sarwar, MD, transplant hepatologis; Mark Sonnick, MD, transplant pulmonologist; Karim Halazun, MD, surgical director of the Adult Liver Transplant Program and section chief of Hepatobiliary Surgery; Sapna Mehta, MD, director of the transplant infectious diseases program; and Stephanie Chang, MD, surgical director of lung transplant.
8/27/2026
Gray-market retatrutide: Less weight loss, more CV effects
Medscape
A preprint study found that patients using gray-market retatrutide achieve about half the weight-loss benefit seen in clinical trials while still experiencing high rates of cardiovascular side effects. Users of compounded versions lost 7.2% of their body weight, compared to 15.5% in the official trial cohort. Commenting on the findings, Priya Jaisinghani, MD, an obesity specialist at NYU Langone Health, said the study provides an important signal that patients are obtaining unapproved drugs through unregulated channels. She advised clinicians to proactively ask patients about using such peptides and to encourage reporting adverse events.
8/26/2026
A new study says three minutes of exercise beats 90—if you make this tweak
Women's Health
New research in 'Cell Reports Medicine' suggests short, intense exercise sprints can offer significant cardiovascular benefits. The study found that all-out cycling sprints altered nearly a quarter of blood proteins associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk and slower aging, compared to less than 0.25% from a 90-minute moderate workout. Shaline Rao, MD, director of heart failure services, chief of cardiology, and chief and vice chair of operations of medicine at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, commented that such maximum effort forces muscle cells to adapt to high metabolic demand. She added that sprints may also affect hormones and how fat cells process fuel, supporting metabolic health.
Also reporting was: MSN Italy, Yahoo Health
8/26/2026
Ozempic may help people with serious mental health condition: Study
New York Post
New research from Griffith University in Australia found that semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, was associated with a 21% lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization for people with bipolar disorder. The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 receptor agonists may offer benefits beyond treating diabetes and obesity. The article also discusses anecdotal evidence of these drugs improving ADHD symptoms. Lenard Adler, MD, director of the Adult ADHD Program at NYU Langone Health, commented that he has seen patients report feeling better in terms of their ADHD symptoms while taking GLP-1s.
Also reporting was: Daily Mail, CE Noticias Financieras English
8/26/2026
Top Doctor Magazine
A 2026 dermatology outlook highlights key clinical themes, including managing skin complications from GLP-1 agonists. Doris Day, MD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, addresses the aesthetic cost of rapid weight loss, such as 'Ozempic face.' Other major topics include record melanoma projections, breakthrough oral psoriasis therapies, the use of AI as an adjunct to physician expertise, and a clinical shift toward 'skin longevity.' The article also notes that more than half of patients report delaying necessary dermatological care, compromising early detection of skin cancers.
8/26/2026
Medical Daily
A federally funded study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health found no link between common prenatal exposure to organophosphate insecticides and autism-related traits. Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the research analyzed 3,339 mother-child pairs. Lead author Haleigh Cavalier, a former doctoral student in NYU Langone's Departments of Population Health and Pediatrics, stated the findings apply to ordinary dietary exposure and not higher occupational levels. The study authors emphasized that the results do not declare the pesticides safe. Senior author Akhgar Ghassabian, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, plans further research on other environmental toxins.
Also reporting was: Psychiatry Advisor
8/26/2026
Science Magazine
Research found that maternal urinary tract infections can initiate preterm labor due to T cell activation and inflammation. A study using a mouse model showed that inhibiting T cell egress or administering IL-10 could prevent this outcome. In a human cohort, urinary cytokines related to T cell immunity were linked with preterm birth, suggesting potential biomarkers for risk evaluation. The article notes a clinical trial by NYU Langone Health is exploring biomarkers for preterm births using non-invasive samples.
8/26/2026
Major study finds CTE in 25 percent of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021
Men's Journal
A study in the British Medical Journal found that at least one in four former NFL players who died from 2016 to 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Commenting on the research, Steven Galetta, MD, the Philip K. Moskowitz, MD Professor and chair of Neurology at NYU Langone Health, described the findings as 'certainly concerning.' He, who was not involved in the study, noted that a selection bias could be at play, as individuals who choose to donate their brains may not represent the broader population. Dr. Galetta added that the findings are significant and warrant continued investigation for those in contact sports.
8/26/2026
Peconic Bay Medical Center nurses earn national recognition for excellence
RiverheadLOCAL
Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead announced it has received Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a national designation for nursing excellence. Hospital leaders stated the recognition was the result of a multi-year effort to strengthen nursing practices. The article reports that this brings the total to 14 Magnet hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The list of designated facilities includes multiple regional competitors as well as NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, positioning it among the top institutions for nursing in the area.
8/26/2026
Comparing safety, tolerability, and clinical fit of advanced cSCC immunotherapies
Dermatology Times
In discussions moderated by experts including Darrell Rigel, MD, clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, specialists evaluated systemic immunotherapy options for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. The sessions focused on comparing the safety and efficacy data of three checkpoint inhibitors: cosibelimab, pembrolizumab, and cemiplimab. Key topics included managing immune-related adverse events, interpreting cross-trial comparisons cautiously, and bridging referral gaps between dermatology and oncology. Attendees noted cosibelimab’s favorable tolerability profile but acknowledged its shorter clinical track record compared to established agents.
8/26/2026
NYU physician-scientist traces oxygen metabolism to pediatric disease breakthrough
BioCentury
Michael Pacold, MD, PhD, director of Basic Science Research and associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, has received the Paul-Gallin Trailblazer Prize for Physician-Scientists. The award recognizes his research on how cells survive extreme oxygen scarcity. This investigation into tumor metabolism uncovered a previously unknown human metabolic pathway, leading to a compassionate use treatment for a child with a rare, fatal pediatric mitochondrial disease.
8/25/2026
An open letter of support for Anthony Fauci from the bioethics community
The American Journal of Bioethics
An open letter from the bioethics community, co-signed by Arthur Caplan, PhD, founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics and professor emeritus of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, expresses support for Anthony Fauci, MD. The letter condemns what it calls a 'bizarre vendetta' by Senate leaders against Dr. Fauci, arguing that recent hearings were a form of 'staged public persecution' rather than a sincere effort to learn from the pandemic. The signatories assert that Dr. Fauci deserves appreciation for his public service and that the political targeting of government-advising scientists has dangerous future implications.
8/26/2026
